China's Harbin sees surge in foreign tourists

HARBIN, Jan. 22 (Xinhua) -- Harbin, the "ice city" in northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, has seen a significant increase in foreign tourists following the 240-hour visa-free transit policy, according to the city's airport.

From Jan. 1 to 21, the airport handled 6,562 visa-free entries, accounting for 75.3 percent of the total number of foreign tourists, official figures showed.

In December, China announced a major relaxation of its visa-free transit policy, extending the permitted stay for eligible foreign travelers to 240 hours. As a result, the city has seen a surge in foreign tourists, with a year-on-year increase of 145 percent following the relaxed immigration policy.

According to relevant authorities, the majority of foreign tourists were from Russia, the Republic of Korea and Thailand.